Self-guided Tours of Finland's Natural Attractions

"Blue Finland" Touring Route

Linnansaari National Park. Photo: Mari Laukkanen.

"Blue Finland" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 12 days
Starting point: Helsinki 
Finishing point: Helsinki 
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding
Family-friendly  

This 12-day touring route will take you from Helsinki's historic islands through the high spots of Finland's lovely Lake District and back south to the shores of the Baltic Sea. Along the way you can see a splendid lakeside castle, watch wildlife including rare lake seals, go rafting on white water rapids, and enjoy quintessentially Finnish scenery in some of the country's best loved national parks. 

Read more: Blue Finland - Experience a Land of Water, the Baltic Sea, Finnish Lakeland and Wild White Waters, Touring Route, 12 Days (pdf, 2.1 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

"7 Finnish National Parks" Touring Route

Southern Konnevesi National Park. Photo: Maija Mikkola.

"7 Finnish National Parks" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 10 days 
Starting point: Helsinki 
Finishing point: Oulu 
Level of difficulty: easy/ moderate / demanding 
 
This 10-day route takes you northwards from Helsinki to Oulu, passing through seven of Finland's most beautiful national parks along the way. Discover the marvellous diversity of our natural scenery, including age-old forests, rugged hills, lovely lakes, sandy shores, and wetlands with rich birdlife. 
 
 

"Accessible Wilderness" Touring Route 

Amethyst Mine. Photo: Pyhä-Luoston matkailuyhdistys.

"Accessible Wilderness" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 5 days
Starting point: Rovaniemi 
Finishing point: Rovaniemi
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate  / demanding    
Family-friendly  

This 5-day route starts and ends in Rovaniemi, the largest town in Finnish Lapland, just a stone's throw from the Arctic Circle. Climb the wild open fells of Pyhä and Luosto to get splendid views over vast unspoilt forests and rocky hillsides. At Ranua Wildlife Park you can enjoy safe close encounters with northern animals including polar bears.  
 

"Finland's Cultural Landscapes" Touring Route

Seitseminen National Park. Photo: Leena Hiltunen.

"Finland's Cultural Landscapes" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 9 days
Starting point: Turku 
Finishing point: Turku or Helsinki
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding    
Family-friendly  
 
Discover the historic towns and colourful countryside of Southwestern Finland on this 9-day tour. You will be able to explore medieval castles, narrow streets lined with picturesque wooden houses, and a remote lighthouse island, as well as six of Finland's beautiful national parks – whose attractions include unspoilt forests, wild wetlands and rocky gorges.
 

"From Helsinki to the Taiga Forests" Touring Route

Julmaölkky. Photo: Eero Vilmi / Vastavalo.

"From Helsinki to the Taiga Forests" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 13 days
Starting point: Helsinki 
Finishing point: Salla
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding    
Family-friendly
 
This 13-day tour takes you Finland's lively capital city to the legendary wild forests of northeastern Finland, finishing in Kuusamo. Along the way you can explore wild forests, ride raging rapids, go kayaking on peaceful lakes, discover ancient rock paintings, and perhaps even spend a night out in the forest in a viewing hide watching wild bears.    
 

"Kuusamo's Renowned National Parks" Touring Route

Konttainen. Photo: Mari Limnell.

"Kuusamo's Renowned National Parks" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 4 days
Starting point: Kuusamo 
Finishing point: Kuusamo
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding    
Family-friendly  

Discover Finland's "Wild East" on this 4-day route, starting and ending in the town of Kuusamo. Explore the unrivalled wild settings of Oulanka National Park by hiking part of Finland's most famous trekking trail Karhunkierros. You can also go rafting on untamed northern rivers, and perhaps stay overnight in a viewing hide deep in the forest, watching wild bears.
 
 

"Land of a Thousand Lakes" Touring Route 

Punkaharju. Photo: VisitFinland.

"Land of a Thousand Lakes" Touring Route Allow time for route:  8 days
Starting point: Helsinki
Finishing point: Helsinki
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding    

Family-friendly 

Take an 8-day round trip from Helsinki to savour the scenic sights of Finland's famous Lake District, whose beautiful blue waters are dotted with rocky islands and surrounded by vast green forests. On your journey you can discover a splendid lakeside castle, learn about the history of forestry in Finland, and perhaps even spot some of Lake Saimaa's rare freshwater seals.     

Read more: Land of a Thousand Lakes Touring Route, 8 Days (pdf, 1.3 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

"From the Baltic Sea to Wild Wooded Hills" Touring Route

Rahja archipelago. Photo: Tuukka Luukkonen.

"From the Baltic Sea to Wild Wooded Hills" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 5 days
Starting point: Oulu
Finishing point: Oulu
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding
Family-friendly

On this 5-day round trip starting and finishing in Oulu, you can discover many of the most famous natural attractions of this part of Northern Finland. Enjoy strolling along sandy seashores, watching birds in Finland's finest wetlands, and exploring the wild forests and hills of two scenic national parks: Rokua and Syöte.

Read more: From the Baltic Sea to Wild Wooded Hills Touring Route, 5 days (pdf, 1.1 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).
 

"Discover Arctic Lapland" Touring Route

Photo: Ida Pirttijärvi.

"Discover Arctic Lapland's Spectacular Scenery and Indigenous Culture" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 8 days
Starting point: Ivalo
Finishing point: Ivalo
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding
Family-friendly

Explore the spectacular scenery of Finland's far north on this 8-day route, starting and finishing in Ivalo. Hike in Lapland's famous national parks, and learn about the cultures of the indigenous Sámi people at Inari and Sevettijärvi, before heading north into Norway to see the shores of the Arctic Ocean. Watch out for reindeer roaming the fells, and salmon leaping in Lapland's wild rivers. 

Read more: Discover Arctic Lapland's Spectacular Scenery and Indigenous Culture, 8 days (pdf, 1.8 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

 

"From the Bothnian Bay to the High Fells of Arctic Lapland" Touring Route

National landscape. Photo: Maarit Kyöstilä.

"From the Bothnian Bay to the high fells of Arctic Lapland" touring routeAllow time for route: 6 days
Starting point: Kemi / Tornio
Finishing point: Kemi / Tornio
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding    
Family-friendly

Take this 6-day round trip from Kemi, on the northernmost shores of the Baltic Sea, to discover the wild and windswept arctic fells of western Finnish Lapland. Stop along the way to enjoy activities from hiking and mountain biking up on the fabulous fells, to canoeing and salmon fishing along Europe's last untamed rivers.

Read more: From the Bothnian Bay to the High Fells of Arctic Lapland, 6 days (pdf, 1.2 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

 

"The Blue Finland Fishing" Touring Route

Hole family fishing. Photo: Aku Ahlholm.

A Fishing Tour of Blue Finland - Experience a Land of Water, the Baltic Sea, Finnish Lakeland and Wild White Waters, Touring Route, 12 DaysAllow time for route:  12 days
Starting point: Helsinki
Finishing point: Helsinki
Family-friendly, for fishers

Experience a land of water from the Baltic Sea to Finnish Lakeland and wild white waters.

Read more: A Fishing Tour of Blue Finland - Experience a Land of Water, the Baltic Sea, Finnish Lakeland and Wild White Waters, Touring Route, 12 Days (pdf, 2 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

"Land of a Thousand Lakes for Fishers" Touring Route

Fishing in Ruunaa. Photo: Laura Ticklen.

Land of a thousand lakes for fishersAllow time for route:  8 days
Starting point: Helsinki
Finishing point: Helsinki
Family-friendly, for fishers

Take a fishing trip to the scenic highlights of Finland's famous Lake District including five national parks where pristine blue lakes and raging rapids are surrounded by green forests.

Read more: Land of a Thousand Lakes Touring Route, 8 Days - for Fishers (pdf, 2 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).

"Relaxation in Finland's Unique Archipelago" Touring Route 

Photo: Visit Finland/Juho Kuva.

"Relaxation in Finland's Unique Archipelago" Touring Route Allow time for route: 9 days
Starting point: Turku                 
Finishing point: Turku
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding
Family-friendly 

This 9-day tour starts and ends in the historic riverside city of Turku in Southwestern Finland. Along the way you can explore the delights of some of the thousands of scenic Baltic islands that form one of the world's most extensive and spectacular archipelagos. The charming seaside town of Naantali is also well worth a visit.    

Read more: Relaxation in Finland´s Unique Archipelago Touring Route, 9 Days (pdf, 1.6 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).
 

 

"Finnish World Heritage sites" Touring Route

Vaasa, Kvarken Archipelago. Photo: Visit Finland/Jaakko Salo.

"Finnish World Heritage Sites" Touring RouteAllow time for route: 9 days
Starting point: Helsinki             
Finishing point:  Stockholm / Turku / Helsinki
Level of difficulty: easy / moderate / demanding
Family-friendly

Allow at least 9-days for this new motoring tour of bustling cities and historic attractions including four Finnish UNESCO World Heritage sites, old towns with colourful wooden buildings, and atmospheric castle ruins. Along the route you can also enjoy splendid coastal scenery in three different Finnish archipelagos – and also take a trip across the Gulf of Bothnia to see the Swedish High Coast.

Read more: Finnish World Heritage Sites Touring Route, 9 Days (pdf, 2 Mb, julkaisut.metsa.fi).